Proverbs 4:14-19

Proverbs 4: 14-19

¹⁴ Don’t do as the wicked do,
    and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
¹⁵ Don’t even think about it; don’t go that way.
    Turn away and keep moving.
¹⁶ For evil people can’t sleep until they’ve done their evil deed for the day.
    They can’t rest until they’ve caused someone to stumble.
¹⁷ They eat the food of wickedness
    and drink the wine of violence!

¹⁸ The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn,
    which shines ever brighter until the full light of day.
¹⁹ But the way of the wicked is like total darkness.
    They have no idea what they are stumbling over

We are reminded today to not go in the way of the wicked- to not go in the HABIT, manners, way of life, or of moral character (derek) of the wicked.  As always, the nuances of scripture are staggering.  On “first read” this seems like we are being told, warned, against walking in the way of the wicked. I get my “religion” on very quickly – point my nose in the air…just a little….and walk on, thinking “Of course I wont”. But then the nuances of scripture catch me short and I find myself catching my breath once again as I realize that I am coming up short on the scales of righteousness before a Holy God.   My habits stand before the throne of righteousness.  Are all of my habits holy? – can you feel me start to shake a little and avert my eyes from the thrones of grace, as my “religion” falls from my shoulders? A habit, something that is a regular tendency that is hard to give up.  I would love to stand before the Lord and claim my scripture reading and daily devotion times are this “habit” which Solomon is referring to and so hard for me to give up….but, I cant. Truth be told, social media and FB are a constant distraction during my devotion time. The brings and rings from my computer and phone ---urging me to take notice –there has been a notification, for goodness sake!!  ….should I look…..or wait…..what if it’s important? And I find myself firmly entrenched in the world and out of higher places. 

Habits – an infomal or addictive practice.  I am not sure if you can hear it from where you are sitting, but, I would beg you to listen and take notice.  Can you hear it? The Thin Mint cookies calling from my pantry? Surely you must hear them?  They call and they beckon me, enticing me to poison my body – the Temple of the Most High – with sugar and artificial killers. Maybe you can’t hear my cupboard because you have different voices demanding attention? Cigarettes?  Drugs or alcohol? Pornography? Sexual sin? Gambling? Adultery? Oohhh Lord, we must shield our eyes – these things are too hard to list on a daily devotion!  How can we bring these things out in the open and speak of them?   Yet, we are being called to Healthy Habits – Holy Obedience to the ordinary.  Holy Obedience in healthy habits.

Habit – an automatic response to a specific situation.  I find myself on my knees before God- where I once stood so haughtily, I find myself awash with the wickedness that I walk in.  I am brought to my knees with impatience – the switch that seems to have a hair trigger. 

There is always GRACE afforded to us by our God and there is always room for me to grow into this Holy Obedience, as I stand before Him naked, not covering up these areas of my heart- but asking for sanctification- that they may all be refined into a Holy Fire, a pleasing incense to the Lord.  Obedience as my sacrifice to the King of Kings.

I hear Him calling me deeper into the scriptures – showing me that this disobedience we have spoken about starts in my mind.   We are instructed to not even think about these things.  When we think of it, it takes form within our mind and takes on weight, as it takes on weight it takes up more attention, as it takes up more attention it demands an action.  STOP. Take all thoughts captive to Christ.  You see- we win.  We don’t have to think about these things – we GET TO give these thoughts to our Savior and allow Him to deflate their urgency and their coaxing.   Don’t even think of these things that snare and entrap us…instead, let your heart and your mind linger on thoughts of Christ.  Splendid you say, but how?  How do you keep your heart and mind centered on Him, in the course of the day when the Thin Mints are SHRIEKING for my attention and that lady is just driving SO- So – SO S.L.O.W.L.Y.  I don’t have the answer, I am a sinner saved by grace and it would be hypocritical of me to not admit that we area ll struggling with this Holy Obedience to the Ordinary.  Scripture does give us a hint though – we start small. We start with a little bit of lightness shining over the horizon into the darkness.  We make one choice at a time. This brings more light into our darkness.  Until, each choice has light up our world, and our hearts, with Holiness – and then – we get to start all over tomorrow.  So that these choices become habits.  We trade in the habits of our grave clothes for habits that reflect His light.  One choice at a time.   These precepts will be written on our hearts – one at a time.  There is no rushing into  holiness in the Kingdom of God – it is a minute by minute struggle with the flesh.

So, today I ask you: What does your dawn look like?  What choices will you make differently today?